Château Canon Canon

Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with a stunning perfume of violets, red roses, and cherries, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums, and Chinese five spice, plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is filled with expressive, perfumed blackberry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with remarkable energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 elevates it in terms of polish, precision, depth, and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins in this 2016 bring a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!.